The mist settled into a slow, uneasy stillness.
Leah remained where she had been placed, her back resting against the rough bark of the tree, her legs stretched out before her, unmoving. Her head tilted slightly to one side, strands of hair clinging faintly to her face. Her chest rose; Fell; Faint. Slow.But present.
She didn't react.
Didn't stir.
Didn't exist beyond that fragile rhythm of breath.
Nearby, the horned girl paced.
Light steps.
Unhurried.
She moved in loose circles, her posture relaxed, hands shifting idly at her sides as if the aftermath of the battle meant nothing to her. Every few moments, she drifted closer to Leah, curiosity pulling her in.
She bent forward once;
Tilting her head slightly, blue eyes narrowing as she studied Leah's face from up close.
"…still breathing," she murmured softly.
Then she straightened again, turning away with a faint hum, continuing her slow, restless movement through the mist.
Behind her, the masked warrior moved with purpose.
No wasted motion.
No distraction.
He approached Mauris' body first.
Kneeling beside him, one gloved hand pressing briefly against his chest, the other hovering near his throat. His movements were precise, practiced; checking for something that wasn't there.
The horned girl glanced over her shoulder.
"Is he alive?"
The warrior didn't look up.
A pause.
Then.....
"Gone."
Flat.
Certain.
No hesitation.
The word settled heavily into the space.
The horned girl exhaled softly, not surprised.
She turned, walking a few steps before stopping near another body.
Henry.
She crouched slightly, her gaze lowering as she took in the damage, the stillness, the silence that clung to him.
"…poor boy," she said quietly. "He's gone."
No response came.
The warrior had already moved on.
Toward Thalia.
He knelt beside her, slower this time. His hand hovered just above her chest for a moment before lowering; not touching;feeling, sensing something deeper than breath.
The horned girl turned again, watching him now, her curiosity sharpening slightly.
She stepped closer.
"Is she…?"
For once;
Her voice lacked playfulness.
The warrior remained still for a moment longer.
Then he spoke.
"She is not gone."
A pause.
Something heavier followed.
"But her soul is not with us."
The mist seemed to tighten slightly around them.
"…where is it?" the horned girl asked quietly.
The warrior lifted his head just enough, his gaze shifting toward the distant ground where the roots twisted beneath the fog; deep, unnatural, endless.
"In the Netherroot Abyss."
The name settled into the air like something ancient.
Something feared.
The horned girl's expression changed; just slightly.
Recognition.
Interest.
"…so she's trapped there," she murmured.
The warrior didn't respond.
His attention remained on Thalia's still form.
A moment later....
Leah's fingers twitched.
A faint movement;
Barely there.
Then her breath shifted.
Shallow; Uneven; Pulling in just a little deeper than before.
Her eyelids trembled.
Slowly;
They began to open.
Light slipped in, unfocused at first, her vision blurred and unstable as shapes formed and dissolved in front of her. The world hadn't settled yet; edges too sharp, shadows too close, everything feeling wrong.
A figure leaned into her view.
Close.
Very close.
The horned girl bent forward, hands resting lightly on her knees, her face just inches away from Leah's. Her bright blue eyes gleamed with curiosity, head tilted slightly as she examined her like something newly discovered.
"…oh?"
Leah's pupils struggled to focus.
The horns.
The eyes.
The silhouette.
Wrong..Wrong..Wrong..
The horned girl's expression lit up instantly.
Without looking away, she lifted one hand and made a quick, casual gesture over her shoulder.
A signal.
"Come quickly," she said, voice light with interest. "She's waking up."
Behind her, the masked warrior turned, beginning to step forward.
"You are going to scare....."
He didn't finish.
Leah's eyes snapped fully open.
Reality crashed into her all at once;
The mist;
The blood;
The creature;
The nightmare;
And this thing leaning over her.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The scream tore out of her, raw and sudden, her body jerking violently as she tried to push herself away. Her hands shot forward in panic, grabbing at the air, searching; anything; a weapon, something to defend herself.
But there was nothing.
Only empty space.
Her fingers clawed at nothing, her breathing breaking into sharp, frantic bursts as she scrambled against the tree, trying to put distance between herself and the horned figure.
The horned girl;
Did not expect that.
At all.
Her eyes widened instantly.
".....?!"
She jerked back with a sharp gasp, completely thrown off, her balance breaking as Leah's sudden scream hit her like a physical force.
"Aa!"
She stumbled;
Then jumped back in reflex, both feet leaving the ground as if the shock had launched her. Her arms flailed slightly mid-air, completely losing that calm, composed aura she had moments ago.
She landed;
Wrong.
One foot hit first;
Slipped slightly on the uneven ground;
"Ah...wait!"
And then she sat down hard.
A soft but very real thud.
"…!"
She froze there for a second, blinking rapidly, clearly more startled than she wanted to admit, her hair falling messily around her face as she processed what just happened.
Meanwhile;
Leah was still panicking.
Breathing fast.
Eyes wide.
Hands still searching desperately for something that wasn't there.
The horned girl slowly lifted her head, looking at Leah again;
Then glanced sideways at the masked warrior.
A beat.
"…she's loud."
The warrior didn't respond.
But if he could sigh;
He probably would.
The horned girl pushed herself up slowly, brushing dirt off her armor with an annoyed flick of her fingers.
"…I was observing her," she muttered.
The masked warrior didn't look at her.
"You were hovering over her face."
A pause.
"…That's called observation."
"It's called being unsettling."
She turned toward him sharply.
"I am not unsettling."
Another pause.
"…You screamed."
"I was startled."
Leah; Still pressed against the tree;
Watched both of them with wide, shaking eyes.
Her breathing hadn't steadied.
Her fingers still curled weakly, as if searching for something to hold;
Anything.
"Stay away from me!"
Her voice cracked as she shouted again, panic surging back through her body. She tried to push herself further against the tree, as if it could shield her.
The horned girl blinked.
Then straightened.
"…we're not going to kill you, duh."
She placed a hand lightly on her chest, almost offended.
"You should be thanking us."
A small pause;
Then, casually:
"We saved you from Nhal'kor… and a Graveclaw Stalker."
Leah froze.
Her expression shifted; Fear still there.
But now tangled with something else.
Confusion.
Her brows pulled together slightly, her breathing uneven as she stared at them, trying to process the words.
"…what…?"
Her voice came out weak.
Uncertain.
Her gaze flicked between the two of them; the horns, the mask, the calmness in their posture that didn't match anything she had just survived.
"Nhal'… what…?"
The name didn't sit right.
Didn't feel like something that should be spoken so easily.
Her fingers tightened faintly against the ground.